Creative Training Techniques™ Newsletter Training and
Performance Improvement Mini-Course
“How to Increase the Results and Impact of Your Training Efforts” By Bob Pike CSP, CPAE-Speakers Hall of Fame Founder/Editor of the Creative
Training Techniques™ Newsletter
eLesson #2
“How To Use Powerful Closers For Celebration and Action Planning” Dear Training and Performance Improvement Professional,
Welcome to the "Creative Training Techniques™ Newsletter Mini-Course",
where you'll learn "How to Use Powerful Closers for Celebration and Action
Planning".
Before we start – how have you acted on the content from lesson 1? Are you
paying more attention to how you open? Are you setting some time aside to
build your “openers tool kit”? I hope so. Remember that the CTT newsletter
membership site is a great resource for you. If you haven’t joined, click on the
link above for a very special offer.
Remember: The biggest mistake you'll make with these five
lessons is to make a decision to apply this information ... and
then not do it. Make a commitment to yourself right here, right
now that you've got what it takes and you'll do what it takes to
see results.
Today we're going to talk about "How to Use Powerful Closers for Celebration
and Action Planning".
Most trainers don’t close – they just run out of time. The further they go in a
course, the faster the pace becomes. Then finally they say, “Well, that’s all we
have time for – thanks for coming. Please be sure to fill out the evaluation
form!” Does this sound familiar? Have you heard those words? Have you said
them? Then get ready to dramatically improve your impact – because after
today, you’ll never close that way again.
Why? Because a powerful close meets three tests – and what I just described
fails all three.
Here are the three tests for a powerful closing ACT:
1. A powerful close allows for creates an Action Plan. If people don’t plan
for how they’ll use what they learned while they’re in the class, chances
are they won’t have the opportunity once the class is over. I’ve said over
and over again – the purpose of training is to get results. We need to
have participants to be planning for and visualizing those results
throughout the training – but especially one final time at the close. One
eLesson 2 of 5 “How To Use Powerful Closers For Celebration and Action Planning” © Copyright 2007 Bob Pike. All Rights Reserved. Page 2 last time while we’re together to get a laser focus on some specific thing
they can do to move forward after the class.
2. A powerful close allows for Celebration. Another purpose of training is
for participants to leave impressed with themselves – not intimidated by
the instructor – exited about what they now know that they didn’t know
before. Excited about what they can now do, that they couldn’t do
before. And more confident in their ability to put into practice the
knowledge and skills that they’ve gained.
3. A powerful close Ties things together. People leave feeling that they’ve
completed the circle. The content is complete, the process is complete.
The skills and knowledge they’ve been looking for have been acquired.
They’ve done good work.
Let’s look at an example: INDEX CARD CLOSE #1
1. At the end of the seminar, each group of participants is given an index
(3X5) card.
2. They are asked to put their first name on the card and pass the card to
one person in their group of 5-7 people. That person becomes the group
leader for the activity.
3. The group leader redistributes the cards to the group so that no one has
their own.
4. The group leader chooses the person (person A) that will start the activity.
Person A says, “I have (names the person (Person B)) – and one
contribution I’ve seen you make to our time together is…. (and they state
at least one specific thing Person B has done to contribute to the learning
of the group).
5. Person B simply says “Thank you.” That’s all that’s allowed.
6. Person B then says, “Here’s the best idea I’ve learned in our time together
– and how I plan to use it.” They then briefly describe one specific action
idea.
7. Person B then says, “And I have Person C – and one contribution I’ve
seen you make to our time together is…”
8. This process continues until each person in the group, including the group
leader has had a chance to share both positive feedback about another
group member and a specific action idea.
eLesson 2 of 5 “How To Use Powerful Closers For Celebration and Action Planning” © Copyright 2007 Bob Pike. All Rights Reserved. Page 3 So there you have it – a closer that takes about two minutes per person and that
meets the tests of an effective close:
1. There is Action Planning.
2. There is Celebration.
3. Things are Tied together.
The class ends on a high, and people leave – or talk together informally. What
about the evaluation form? Now is not the time to fill it out. It was actually
filled out and turned in 30 minutes before the end of the class. How did we
accomplish this? You’ll have to wait for the next lesson to find out!
For now – focus on what kind of close you might use in your next training
program, and remember there are always a dozen ways to close available on our
CTT newsletter membership site. If you haven’t already subscribed, why not
take a couple of minutes and do it right now. Take advantage of all the
resources we have to help you take your training and performance improvement
efforts to the next level.
Sidebar:
Getting The Best Results From Your Close
Remember...closing doesn’t just happen at the end of a class.
1.
2.
3.
It should happen before a major break, such as lunch.
It should happen at the end of a day, for multiple day programs.
It should happen at the end of a week, for multiple week programs.
Plan your closes for a particular program. Then keep those with that
program. Using the same close in multiple programs loses the impact value
for participants who see the same thing in different classes.
eLesson 2 of 5 “How To Use Powerful Closers For Celebration and Action Planning” © Copyright 2007 Bob Pike. All Rights Reserved. Page 4 This goes for all of the components that exist in a training program. For each
course you teach or design make sure that you have a different set of:
•
•
•
•
Closers
Openers
Revisit Techniques
Energizers
This is what we call: Getting to the CORE of training! You want this to be
different in each class so participants will stay curious (and energized) by
wondering what’s next – but never quite knowing.
It’s also possible to create variations of these – modifying each slightly so that
participants know the general guidelines to follow, but they have to pay attention
to what is new or different.
Note: Keep building you file of CORE techniques. I use a scan
plan system with ten cards for each class. It contains 3X5 cards
with the Closers, Openers, Revisits, and Energizers for that class
so I can instantly use one any time I need to.
Every week you should add new CORE activities to your trainers
tool kit. It's an incredibly easy way to keep your training fresh
for both you and your participants.
In almost every CTTnewlsetter since 1987 we’ve provided one or more CORE
activities. And with the new membership site, we’re adding one of each every
month and we’ll be archiving them for a full year. We want to be your trusted
advisors for all your training and performance improvement efforts.
That's why I launched the Creative Training Techniques™ newsletter
membership site -- there’s just too much to share and too many formats to share
them in to keep producing only a print newsletter.
eLesson 2 of 5 “How To Use Powerful Closers For Celebration and Action Planning” © Copyright 2007 Bob Pike. All Rights Reserved. Page 5 Here's what respected leadership guru Ken Blanchard (coauthor of The One
Minute Manager) has to say about my teaching...
A Word From Ken Blanchard
For the trainer who wishes to move beyond lecture-based
training I recommend Bob Pike’s participant-centered seminar
and in-house consultants.
Our staff has applied the ideas they’ve learned from Bob and his
consultants to make the training we offer our clients more
effective. Hundreds of other organizations do the same thing.
At the core of what he does is the idea that he wants to
empower people to take charge of their own learning, to
apply what they learn to be more effective people, not simply
more effective employees.
With today’s knowledge economy, it is more important than ever
before for people to learn how to become lifelong learners.
Applying Creative Training Techniques makes it easier for
them to do that.
Ken Blanchard, PhD
The Ken Blanchard Companies
I encourage you to become a member of Creative Training Techniques™ - if
you really want to grow profitable email lists, then you owe it to yourself to log in
to the member's area right now and access this "never-before-seen" training.
Click Here for more details (and tons of testimonials).
You've just been given a very powerful process for increasing the impact of how
you close your training programs. In your next lesson, I’ll be sharing “How to
Creatively Revisit Content to Increase Retention and Application”. Look
for it in your inbox in the next few days.
eLesson 2 of 5 “How To Use Powerful Closers For Celebration and Action Planning” © Copyright 2007 Bob Pike. All Rights Reserved. Page 6 Until then, God bless!
Bob Pike CSP, CPAE-Speakers Hall of Fame
Chairman/CEO The Bob Pike Group
Founder/Editor The Creative Training Techniques newsletter
Chairman of the Executive Board – Center for FaithWalk Leadership
Click Here to continue.
NOTICE: This is a free mini-course. You may not give away, sell or share the content herein. Friends and
colleagues can sign up for their own course. Please remember that each individual’s success as a training
and performance professional depends on his or her background, dedication, desire and motivation.
© Copyright 2007 Bob Pike
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this report may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever,
electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any informational storage or retrieval
system without the expressed written, dated and signed permission from the author.
DISCLAIMER AND/OR LEGAL NOTICES: The information presented herein represents the view of the author
as of the date of publication. Because of the rate with which conditions change, the author reserves the
right to alter and update his opinion based on the new conditions. The report is for informational purposes
only. While every attempt has been made to verify the information provided in this report, neither the
author nor his affiliates/partners assume any responsibility for errors, inaccuracies or omissions. Any slights
of people or organizations are unintentional. If advice concerning legal or related matters is needed, the
services of a fully qualified professional should be sought. This report is not intended for use as a source of
legal or accounting advice. You should be aware of any laws which govern business transactions or other
business practices in your country and state.
eLesson 2 of 5 “How To Use Powerful Closers For Celebration and Action Planning” © Copyright 2007 Bob Pike. All Rights Reserved. Page 7